Kinetic Element

Kinetic Element is a neo/symphonic progressive rock band from Richmond, Virginia that harbors musical roots in classic artists like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, Asia and Genesis and blends those influences with philosophical and spiritually powerful and uplifting lyrics.

Kinetic Element was formed to perform the music of Mike Visaggio’s solo CD, “Starship Universe” which was released in 2006 after Mike was selected to perform at the 2006 Pop Montreal festival. Since then they have assembled a repertoire of that entire CD, plus selected classic prog and classic rock covers and their new prog pieces they have put together since they formed which comprise “Powered By Light,” which was recorded during the summer of 2009 at Sound of Music Studio in Richmond, VA and released on Sept. 5, 2009. The cover art was executed by the incomparable Martin Kornick. It was nominated for Best Debut CD of 2009 by The Prog Awards, which was at that time an Italian reviews website.

The band is comprised of Mike Visaggio (keyboards); Michael Murray (drums), Todd Russell (electric and acoustic guitar) and Mark Tupko (basses). Their full-length recording Powered by Light was done at Sound of Music Studios in Richmond, Virginia and it was released in September 2009. In May 2008 KE was privileged to be a support act for Circa (featuring Tony Kaye and Alan White of Yes, at Jaxx in northern Virginia), Rare Blend (at Orion Studios in Baltimore, Maryland one of prog’s must-play venues), IZZ (who have played every prog festival in America, at the Artomatic festival in Washington, D.C.) In 2009, KE supported Morglbl (at Capitol Ale House Music Hall in Richmond VA). In 2010, with Edensong (at Orion again). Kinetic Element opened the nation’s longest running prog rock festival, Prog Day, at the Pre-Show on August 29, 2008 with Speechless and again on Sept. 3, 2010 with Jack Dupon. They played The Magic Room in Boston in November 2011 headlining, with suppport acts Eccentric Orbit and Resistor. They were invited to play the first Ohio Prog festival to be held in September 2012 before the festival was unfortunately cancelled. Kiinetic Element was featured in Progression Magazine #59.

Besides promoting Powered by Light, the band is actively writing new material and recording their second album, to be titled Travelog. At this time (February 2015) the instrumentals of Travelog are completed and vocals are being recorded by guests Dimetrius LaFavors of Odin’s Court, Michelle Schrotz of Brave, and solo artist Mike Florio. The band is shooting for a spring 2015 release.

MEET THE BAND:MIKE VISAGGIO (keyboards and vocals): Mike is the founder of Kinetic Element and has been involved in music since 1962, playing in a number of New York City cover bands, progressive rock groups Randori (early ‘70s), Innervision .(early ‘80s) and recording several albums with noted singer-songwriter Billy Falcon’s Burning Rose in the years 1977-1981 and the Richmond’s legendary Strokers in the early 2000s. The veteran keyboardist began his first foray back into the realm of progressive music, after a long hiatus, with a spiritually tinged neo-symphonic solo CD called STARSHIP UNIVERSE IN 2006, which served to indroduce him to the prog rock community. A spiritual Christian, Mike believes the overall tone of the disc is one of hope and enlightenment. That sentiment carried over into the POWERED BY LIGHT project, a symphonic progressive rock album which musically reflects Hammond B3 organ and synthesizer giants like Keith Emerson and Tony Kaye as well as Rick Wakeman and Geoff Downes. Mike was also heavily influenced by the pop and rock of his youth citing Felix Cavaliere (Young Rascals), Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), Steve Winwood (Traffic, Blind Faith) and Lee Michaels as essential touchstones.MICHAEL MURRAY (drums and backing vocals): Michael received his initial impetus to pursue the drums from his father who also is a drummer. He began playing in the 6th grade and has not looked back since. He has been a mainstay for two decades on the Richmond, Virginia music scene having performed in a number of blues, classic rock, country and southern rock cover bands. He is a big fan of classic bands like Rush, Heart, Yes, Pink Floyd and the Allman Brothers but also follows the modern progressive and jam scene with Dave Matthews Band, Govt. Mule and Spocks Beard topping his list. Yearning to play more intellectually stimulating music, Michael performed on Mike Visaggio’s solo project, and in 2006 joined Mike to form Kinetic Element. He is credited with coming up with the band’s name. He is also performing recording engineer duties as the band prepares its new material.TODD RUSSELL (guitar): Todd is a classically trained musician from the Richmond area who joined Kinetic Element in November 2008 who has earned a Ph.D. in classical orchestration. He is a big fan of Steve Howe of Yes along with many seminal ‘70s era bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The versatile guitarist is comfortable in a solo setting (as his unaccompanied composition “Meditation” on Powered by Light will attest) or can lay down some soul stirring electric lead lines that will enrapture your senses as well. Todd has his Ph.D. in music and is a welcome addition to the Kinetic Element family. He and Mike Visaggio are collaborating on the new material for KE’s forthcoming CD which will be called TRAVELO after the title of one of his pieces.MARK TUPKO (bass): Mark joined Kinetic Element as of May 2014 as the band continues work on its upcoming CD release. Born in Poland, Mark has demonstrated some serious bass chops and prog rock sensibility in spite of not having played prog since before coming to America. Still active in Richmond classic rock band Crush, it is plain he is comfortable in many styles of music. He has joined Kinetic Element to play something more challenging. KE looks forward to a promising creative relationship with its newest member.

Jimmy Robinson

Jimmy Robinson has been recording and touring for over 40 years. He has received critical and audience praise for his unique virtuoso approach to the guitar, and his rich compositional skill.

He has toured the world with appearances at:

The Acoustic Franciacorta and Madame International Guitar Festivals both in Italy,

The Gutarrenzauber Festival, Gros Rohrheim, Germany

The Zihuatenejo International Guitar Festival, Zihuatenejo, Mexico

The Big Green Cardigan Festival in East Sussex, England

INGUITAR Festival, Switzerland

The Brilliant Strings Concert Series, Los Angeles, California

The TACH Cultural Festival, Reno, Nevada

ProgDay, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Pan Am Jazz Festival, CanCun, Mexico

Jazz Encuentro, Guatemala City

Festivale Internationale, Lafayette, La.

Malaga Fest, Mobile, AL

The New Orleans French Quarter Festival

The Crooked Pines Guitar Show, Atlanta, Georgia

and over 25 Years at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

He has opened concerts for

John McLaughlin And Mahavishnu Orchestra

Chick Corea’s Elektrik Band

Jeff Beck

Bela Fleck And The Flecktones

Adrian Belew

Bill Bruford And Patrick Moraz

The Steve Morse Band

The Dixie Dregs

Allen Holdsworth

Tuck And Patty

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Johnny Winter

John Mayall

The Glenn Phillips Band

Hugh Masekela

Spyro Gyra

The Neville Brothers

John Fahey

Charlie Byrd

Billy Cobham

John McLaughlin Trio

Jimmy first made a name for himself playing electric guitar and leading the psychedelic rock/blues band Ejaculation (yes, you read correctly, it was 1968, after all…) at the Free Concert weekly series on New Orleans Riverfront.. He went on to front The Progrock band Laugh In The Dark in the 70’s, and in 1975 founded the celebrated instrumental rock fusion band Woodenhead. Woodenhead performs today, and is celebrating their 40th anniversary with a special performance at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May, 2015, as well as releasing a recording of new material, a live concert from New Orleans’ famed Tipitina’s and a reissue of their entire, remastered catalog.

He also founded the New Orleans Guitar Collective Twangorama, with guitarists Phil deGruy and Cranston Clements, and later The New Orleans Guitar Quartet.

Jimmy studied classical guitar and composition at Loyola University in New Orleans and The Eastman School Of Music in New York. He combined these elements with his electric experience to forge the solo acoustic style that he now tours with. His third solo cd is set for Spring, 2015 release.

Lo-Fi Resistance

I think it will essentially be an electric guitar/vocal solo performance, aided by my good friend Ronen Gordon on percussive objects. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Founded in 2009, Lo-Fi Resistance is the creation of 26 year-old guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Randy McStine. Once dubbed as a “guitar prodigy,” McStine began playing guitar at the age of five and performing publicly at the age of ten. His formative years were spent playing in classic rock cover bands, while also pursuing original music. Randy’s early work was focused on guitar-driven, instrumental rock until he began to sing at the age of fifteen. McStine would spend the remainder of his teens crafting his voice and songwriting, while continuing to expand his diverse musical tastes.

Setting up a small studio in his Upstate New York apartment, McStine started writing and recording new material in 2009 with no clear agenda. As he pooled together funding from solo performances, guitar lessons, and landscaping work, a new passion and focus was evident as the unnamed project continued. Completing a new, full-length album was now McStine’s goal.

Initially performing all of the album’s instrumentation himself, Randy eventually decided to bring in outside support for the drum tracks. McStine blindly reached out to ex-Spock’s Beard drummer Nick D’Virgilio to fill the seat. D’Virgilio would not only perform on most of the songs, but also offer and accept the role of mixing the entire album. Amongst other additional musicians, McStine enlisted longtime vocal favorite and personal friend Dug Pinnick (King’s X), for the end of a song entitled “Moral Disgrace.”

As recording sessions for the new album wrapped up in late 2009, McStine named the project Lo-Fi Resistance. The debut album, A Deep Breath, was released independently on April 6th, 2010. Praised for its unique blending of Progressive Rock, Power Pop, and Singer-Songwriter influences, the album has drawn comparisons to diverse artists such as Todd Rundgren, Roger Waters, Yes, Crowded House, and The Police.

Randy began writing for a second Lo-Fi Resistance album, Chalk Lines, in April of 2011. Undoubtedly the most ambitious project of McStine’s career to date, Chalk Lines both expands on and abandons the foundations of the first album. Drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) is featured throughout the entire album, along with bassists Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), John Giblin (Kate Bush), and Dug Pinnick (King’s X) among its roster. Dave Kerzner (Sound Of Contact, Kevin Gilbert) splits keyboard duties with McStine, along with co-writing three songs and co-producing the album.

Since the release of Chalk Lines, McStine has toured internationally as lead vocalist/co-guitarist of The Pink Floyd Experience, along with filling the live guitar role for Sound Of Contact. Lo-Fi Resistance released a new record, The Age Of Entitlement, in September 2014. This collection sees McStine reaching into different musical territory once again, pulling influence from ’70s electronic music, art-pop, and more. Described as a “mini-album”, The Age Of Entitlement is a digital-only release.

IZZ

“Without question, one of the brightest lights on the American progressive/art rock scene, IZZ melds classic and modern prog influences, strong melodies, and stirring guitar and synthesizer solos into a familiar yet refreshing musical stew” – NEARfest website (www.nearfest.com).

IZZ was formed under the musical vision of brothers Tom and John Galgano. In 1996, Tom brought together fellow Manhattanville College classmates, all musically trained, to write, arrange and perform original, adventurous music.

The first IZZ lineup consisted of Manhattanville classmates Tom Galgano (keys and vocals), Greg DiMiceli (drums), Danielle Altieri (vocals), Michele Salustri (vocals) and Brian Coralian (drums), John Galgano (guitar/bass) and Phil Gaita (bass/guitar). This first iteration of IZZ came together to release the band’s debut album, Sliver of a Sun in 1999. Sliver of a Sun is an eclectic collection of songs that served the band well as their introduction to the progressive/art rock community. Consisting of complex and musically intricate pieces such as “Endless Calling” and “Assurance,” whimsical songs such as “Lornadoone” and “Meteor” as well as more Beatle-esque songs like “Take it Higher” and “She Walked Out the Door,” Sliver of a Sun set the stage for what IZZ would become in the decade to follow. The band still often refers to Sliver of a Sun for its live show as Assurance, Where I Belong, Razor and Endless Calling often find their way onto the IZZ setlist.

Between 1999 – 2002, the IZZ lineup saw some significant changes as vocalists Danielle Alteri and Michele Salustri left the band to pursue outside ventures. Phil Gaita, who shared bass and guitar duties with John Galgano on Sliver of a Sun, departed during this time to explore his own musical passions.

IZZ continued to compose original music and play live shows in and around New York City, performing often at classic NYC venues. It was during this time of intense live performing and writing new material that Paul Bremner joined the band. A virtuoso guitarist with his own unique, melodic style, Paul brought an important element to IZZ that would help fully define the band’s sound and enable them to stand out in the proverbial crowd. His inspired guitar playing, his flair for fiery and emotional solos and his engaging song-writing brought IZZ to a new level both on the stage and in the studio.

With the addition of Paul Bremner to the fold, the Galgano brothers, along with DiMiceli and Coralian entered the studio with an abundance of new material. In 2002, IZZ released I Move, their 2nd studio album, to rave reviews. A 74-minute concept album revolving around a character who loses his musical soul and journeys to rediscover it, the I Move album solidified IZZ’s place in the progressive/art rock music scene and has remained one of the band’s most beloved albums. Blending the sounds of modern fusion, jazz, pop and prog, I Move catapulted IZZ into the consciousness of the progressive rock community. The album produced classic IZZ pieces such as “Coming Like Light,” “Star Evil Gnoma Su,” “Believe,” and “Light from Your Eyes.” I Move also saw the first appearances of vocalists Anmarie Byrnes and Laura Meade, who each sang on one song on the album (“Something True” and “Believe,” respectively) – a foreshadowing of a new IZZ lineup soon to emerge.

On the strength of I Move, IZZ was invited to play at an increasing number of music festivals around the US , including Progday 2002 in North Carolina and Progwest in Southern California. Their shows wowed fans and critics alike and introduced a loyal and broader audience to their exciting and memorable live performances.

As the band continued to write new music and as vocalists Anmarie Byrnes and Laura Meade became more involved with IZZ’s live performances and studio work, IZZ headed back into the studio to finish an album of songs that had remained incomplete after the I Move sessions. Ampersand, Volume 1, an album of 7 new, original studio tracks and 4 live tracks, was released in 2004. Although not a full-length studio album, Ampersand contained several pieces that are regarded as staples of the IZZ catalog and are often performed live, including “The Wait of It All,” “Ancient Memory,” and “Afraid To Be Different.” The album also includes the first IZZ live tracks to be officially released with live versions of “Star Evil Gnoma Su,” “Razor,” “Another Door,” and “Molly’s Jig,” a Paul Bremner solo piece, included on the album.

Shortly after the release of Ampersand, Volume 1, and an impressive live performance at Rosfest 2004, IZZ returned to the studio to finish their next full length studio album, My River Flows. Released in 2005, My River Flows reflected a culmination of what IZZ had been developing during their live performances for the preceding 3 years. Pieces such as “My River Flows” and “Late Night Salvation” are songs that the band had perfected in a live setting prior to recording. The addition of the beautiful and stunning voices of Anmarie Byrnes and Laura Meade are felt throughout the album, but most especially on the dramatic last track: the 20+ minute Deafening Silence. Written almost entirely by Tom Galgano, many IZZ fans consider Deafening Silence to be a defining moment for IZZ during their first decade of studio recordings.

After the release of My River Flows in 2005, IZZ was invited to perform at numerous festivals in the American progressive/art rock circuit including festival stalwarts Calprog 2005, 2006 and 2008 and the North East Art Rock Festival (NEARFest 2007). After their electrifying NEARFest performance, IZZ released their first full-length live album “IZZ Live at NEARFest” in late 2007.
In 2008, IZZ was welcomed back to Southern California to play at yet another CalProg Music Festival. The band also performed that August at the 3RP Festival in Pittsburg, PA along with The Flower Kings, Neal Morse, California Guitar Trio, Spocks Beard and others. In between their live U.S. shows, the band continued to write and record new material for what was to become the band’s next studio album. “The Darkened Room,” the first in a series of 3 related, conceptual albums. Prior to the recording of The Darkened Room, IZZ’s lineup experienced a change as Laura Meade departed from the group to explore her musical theater passion as well as various other professional opportunities. For the next two albums, Anmarie Byrnes would continue to solidify the role of the female voice in IZZ with aplomb.

Released in 2009, The Darkened Room quickly became a favorite among IZZ fans for the intensity and uniqueness of the compositions and performances. The tracks “Can’t Feel the Earth, Part I” and “Can’t Feel the Earth, Part II” in particular display the band’s prowess for melding intricate playing and memorable melodies. In true innovative form IZZ also produced several shorter, concise songs such as “Ticking Away,” “Regret,” and “The Message.” The penultimate piece on the album, “23 Minutes of Tragedy” has become one of IZZ’s most requested live songs as its compelling emotional and dramatic style captures the audience from the first acoustic guitar notes. The Darkened Room album, has become an important part of the material that makes up IZZ’s live shows.

Between 2010-2014, IZZ took the stage in Quebec City, Canada, performing three times at the Terra Incognita Festival to rave reviews. In 2011, IZZ released their first live DVD, “IZZ Live” which included their entire 2007 NEARFest performance as well as clips from other live shows including ProgWest (2002) and an in-studio performance for The Dividing Line Broadcast Network (2003).

In 2012, work was completed on Part 2 of the trilogy, Crush of Night. For the Crush of Night album, IZZ had the distinct pleasure of recruiting former Gentle Giant and current 3 Friends guitarist, Gary Green. Gary added his unique playing on two songs. The track “Words and Miracles” includes classic Gary Green guitar playing as well as some backing vocals by Green. The merging of the IZZ sound with this progressive rock guitar idol provided a unique listening experience for IZZ and Gentle Giant fans alike. Tracks such as “Solid Ground” and “You’ve Got a Time” instantly became a mainstay of the IZZ live catalog while the epic Crush of Night suite which spans over 20 minutes of the album, adds to the IZZ canon of adventurous and melodic music.
In 2015, IZZ will release its 6th full length studio album, Everlasting Instant, which also serves as the final album of the trilogy.

Lo-Fi Resistance

As a result of some difficult time and scheduling factors, Lo-Fi Resistance will take on yet a different shape and form at our NJProghouse Progressive Music Series show with IZZ. While it might not be what was expected or desired, I’m always looking for new ways to present the material. I think it will essentially be an electric guitar/vocal solo performance, aided by my good friend Ronen Gordon on percussive objects. Other guests are likely to contribute somewhere in the set as well. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Founded in 2009, Lo-Fi Resistance is the creation of 26 year-old guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Randy McStine. Once dubbed as a “guitar prodigy,” McStine began playing guitar at the age of five and performing publicly at the age of ten. His formative years were spent playing in classic rock cover bands, while also pursuing original music. Randy’s early work was focused on guitar-driven, instrumental rock until he began to sing at the age of fifteen. McStine would spend the remainder of his teens crafting his voice and songwriting, while continuing to expand his diverse musical tastes.

Setting up a small studio in his Upstate New York apartment, McStine started writing and recording new material in 2009 with no clear agenda. As he pooled together funding from solo performances, guitar lessons, and landscaping work, a new passion and focus was evident as the unnamed project continued. Completing a new, full-length album was now McStine’s goal.

Initially performing all of the album’s instrumentation himself, Randy eventually decided to bring in outside support for the drum tracks. McStine blindly reached out to ex-Spock’s Beard drummer Nick D’Virgilio to fill the seat. D’Virgilio would not only perform on most of the songs, but also offer and accept the role of mixing the entire album. Amongst other additional musicians, McStine enlisted longtime vocal favorite and personal friend Dug Pinnick (King’s X), for the end of a song entitled “Moral Disgrace.”

As recording sessions for the new album wrapped up in late 2009, McStine named the project Lo-Fi Resistance. The debut album, A Deep Breath, was released independently on April 6th, 2010. Praised for its unique blending of Progressive Rock, Power Pop, and Singer-Songwriter influences, the album has drawn comparisons to diverse artists such as Todd Rundgren, Roger Waters, Yes, Crowded House, and The Police.

Randy began writing for a second Lo-Fi Resistance album, Chalk Lines, in April of 2011. Undoubtedly the most ambitious project of McStine’s career to date, Chalk Lines both expands on and abandons the foundations of the first album. Drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) is featured throughout the entire album, along with bassists Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), John Giblin (Kate Bush), and Dug Pinnick (King’s X) among its roster. Dave Kerzner (Sound Of Contact, Kevin Gilbert) splits keyboard duties with McStine, along with co-writing three songs and co-producing the album.

Since the release of Chalk Lines, McStine has toured internationally as lead vocalist/co-guitarist of The Pink Floyd Experience, along with filling the live guitar role for Sound Of Contact. Lo-Fi Resistance released a new record, The Age Of Entitlement, in September 2014. This collection sees McStine reaching into different musical territory once again, pulling influence from ’70s electronic music, art-pop, and more. Described as a “mini-album”, The Age Of Entitlement is a digital-only release.

The Sensational Francis Dunnery Band

Francis first hit the public stage back in the eighties as lead vocalist and guitarist for the progressive rock band ‘It Bites’. He has since gone on to have a very successful musical solo career spanning twenty years. During this time he has written, produced and performed music with some of the most successful artists of his time, artists such as Led Zeppelin’s singer Robert Plant, guitar legend Carlos Santana, John Mellencamp, Squeeze’s stalwart Chris Difford, Stone Roses’ singer Ian Brown, R&B superstar Lauren Hill, Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett as well as guesting with a host of bands and artists such as Yes, Asia, Hootie and the Blowfish and The Syn. Francis is accomplished in his own right, turning out ten engaging albums of original yet diverse composition and three DVD’s.

Alongside his music career, Francis is a long time student of philosophy, psychology and astrology. He has a thriving international astrological practice based upon the works of world-renowned psychologist and astrologer Dr Carl Jung. Francis was a pioneer in offering online astrology readings via Skype as early as January 2004, six months after Skype was launched, a practice that still continues successfully to this day…. read more

Lo-Fi Resistance

Founded in 2009, Lo-Fi Resistance is the creation of 26 year-old guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Randy McStine. Once dubbed as a “guitar prodigy,” McStine began playing guitar at the age of five and performing publicly at the age of ten. His formative years were spent playing in classic rock cover bands, while also pursuing original music. Randy’s early work was focused on guitar-driven, instrumental rock until he began to sing at the age of fifteen. McStine would spend the remainder of his teens crafting his voice and songwriting, while continuing to expand his diverse musical tastes….read more